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ONE The Harappan seal (Fig. . ) is possibly the most distinctive artefact of the Harappan or Indus valley civilisation. Made of a stone called steatite, seals like this one often contain animal motifs and signs from a script that remains undeciphered. Yet we know a great deal about the lives of the people who lived in the region from what they left behind – their houses, pots, ornaments, tools and seals – in other words, from archaeological evidence. Let us see what we know about the Harappan civilisation, and how we know about it. We will explore how archaeological material is interpreted and how interpretations sometimes change. Of course, there are some aspects of the civilisation that are as yet unknown and may even remain so. Terminologies, Places and Time “The Harappan Civilisation” is also known as the Indus Valley Civilisation. The term Harappa is derived from the place where the civilization was identified. The total time span of the civilisation ranges from BCE to BCE. The early phase, termed as Early Harappan ( BCE- BCE) is a formative phase of the civilisation. The urban phase of the civilisation, termed as Mature Harappan ( BCE- BCE) is the most prosperous phase. The decline of the civilisation starts around BCE. This decadent phase ( BCE- BCE) is termed as Late Harappan. The distinctive Harappan pottery, bricks (baked and unbaked) seals, weights, beads, copper and bronze articles, belonging to the Harappan civilisation have been found in the region, as apart as Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Sind and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and the Indian States of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra (Map ). Fig. . A Harappan seal Fig. . Beads, weights, blades